Frank Varra Park is almost as far west in Broomfield as you can get. Down the hill from Flatirons Mall and across from I-36 is a beautiful, if noisy, spot. A small stream flows through scrappy cottonwood, and the mossy rocks are worn from the continual flow of water over them. A short path is crosscut by bike paths, but the marker below is sheltered back from the path.
In the early morning hours of January 20, 1936, north of Broomfield and just outside of Louisville, a massive explosion rocked a Monarch mine. Only two men there that day survived the explosion, which was likely caused by an overabundance of combustible coal dust that had been ignited by sparks from a coal car collision. The other eight men died in the conflagration and ensuing rock fall.
While this marker is a fitting tribute to the men who lost their lives in this tragic explosion, there is another memorial to this event that is harder to find and perhaps even more touching. If you made it to the marker, take a short walk down to the stream and look a bit further to the west and across the stream until you spot a huge, old cottonwood. Cross the stream (I jumped across on rocks, but you can also just slosh on through) and you’ll see a swing hanging from a sturdy branch.
Then, as you take a glance at the seat of the swing, you’ll see the beautifully painted seat. The vibrant monarch butterflies against a green and yellow background are a hopeful reminder that beauty emerges from ashes, and that new life returns after dark winter.
Source:
Conarroe, Carolyn. Coal Mining in Colorado’s Northern Field. Denver: Conarroe Companies, 2001.
